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Removing Fry from parents?

Member

I was just wondering when or if I should separate the fry into a breeder box? I have 3 female and 2 male borellii along with 3 amano shrimp in a 33G long tank. All the females laid eggs at the same time and they all hatched, although ive noticed a lot of stealing of fry happening within the tank. Anyways there are a total of around 50-60 fry in the tank that are around 1 week free swimming.

Active Member

I would leave them in the tank with the parents, the fry grow like frozen molasses. I have never breed more than one pair in the tank at the same time, with macmasteri, hongsli and borellii when the female is ready to lay again they always eat the fry unless I remove the male. Good luck and let us know how you do.

Member

I would leave them in the tank with the parents, the fry grow like frozen molasses. I have never breed more than one pair in the tank at the same time, with macmasteri, hongsli and borellii when the female is ready to lay again they always eat the fry unless I remove the male. Good luck and let us know how you do.

So I guess I should remove the two males this weekend lol. It'll be around two weeks then. I just dont know when the females will be ready to spawn again and want to be ready to remove them as soon as I think they are going to eat their own fry.

Member

Thanks so much for your responses Yukon and Mike. This is the first batch that Ive kept alive more than the first 4 days and I know its because I started feeding bbs from the start this time, and I dont want to fail again this time. As mentioned, this weekend will be week two and I think I'll remove the males. Within the next two weeks I'll start removing the females or fry... still to be determined. I'll keep you guys posted. Maybe I'll even take out 4-5 large fry and but them in a breeder box just as a precaution.

Member

Ditto on the breeder boxes. While I'm not a breeder... I've raised 100's of fry and almost all of my apisto's I have were born in my home. What I have done in the past was monitor the females that are in breeding dress. I use some apisto huts. When I find a female with eggs or wrigglers I make an instant tank. My apisto's are in 40 breeder tanks... I take a 10 gallon tank and take all the water from the 40 to set it up. And all of decor needed (driftwood, rocks, plants, moss...including one of the sponge filters) as it will have the initial food fry need to survive. When the female is in the hut I put my finger over the hole and move the whole "family" (minus dad) to the new set up. She relaxes not having to defend her brood and I've found less likely to eat the eggs. As others have said when the fry start showing independence from mama I move her and the hut back to the 40. I hatch bbs every night which I found is the best food for the fry as soon as they can eat it. Nothing like seeing their little golden bellies!